This
weekend I stepped back in time and saw the Adirondacks as the wilderness it
once was. First, we travelled back to the 1900’s in Litchfield Castle, where
Pieter Litchfield was kind enough to open up his home to Hamilton. This amazing
and unparalleled experience of staying over at such a great historic site was
unforgettable. Every piece in the home transported us back to a time when the
Adirondacks was seen as a truly wild land. Mr. Litchfield told us a story of
how the first Mr. Litchfield who bought the property and built the castle
introduced exotic animals onto the estate to create his own wildlife preserve
and personal hunting grounds. Although the animals were not in their native
habitats and eventually died off, it reveals how the Adirondacks was seen as
one of America’s last chance to remain wild.
Asgaard Farm also reflected a time
when self-sufficient farming was the norm. Although Asgaard Farm is not there yet,
they are on their way to being entirely self-sustaining. They reminded me of an
era where small, family run businesses supplied locals, much as Asgaard Farm is
trying to accomplish today. The couple, David and Rhonda, was kind enough to
give us a tour and history of their land. Their property was home to Rockwell
Kent, an American wilderness painter from the 20th century. They
bought the property in 1988 and decided to restore the old farmstead back to
its glory. All of the buildings are original and it looks much like Rockwell
Kent’s painting of it when it was his home.
Although one can argue that Asgaard Farm is going back to the basics when it comes to farming, sustainability is also a relatively new trend. This juxtaposition of new methods and old concepts makes Asgaard and other sustainable farms so intriguing. Many times these farms adopt older practices that avoid using chemicals or inhumane slaughtering of animals like commercial farms employ. Also, many industrial farms mass-produce a select product, known as a monoculture, without a variety of crops or livestock to help maintain soil quality and the health of the land. This diversification of sustainable farms is the key to making the land profitable. David and Rhonda joined this movement and added cows, chickens, and a small vegetable field to Asgaard. While the Adirondacks moves into the twenty-first century, it is nice to see how old-time traditions still prevail and preserve the history of the park.
Although one can argue that Asgaard Farm is going back to the basics when it comes to farming, sustainability is also a relatively new trend. This juxtaposition of new methods and old concepts makes Asgaard and other sustainable farms so intriguing. Many times these farms adopt older practices that avoid using chemicals or inhumane slaughtering of animals like commercial farms employ. Also, many industrial farms mass-produce a select product, known as a monoculture, without a variety of crops or livestock to help maintain soil quality and the health of the land. This diversification of sustainable farms is the key to making the land profitable. David and Rhonda joined this movement and added cows, chickens, and a small vegetable field to Asgaard. While the Adirondacks moves into the twenty-first century, it is nice to see how old-time traditions still prevail and preserve the history of the park.
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| Asgaard Farm |
Charlotte, I really liked the concept of the juxtaposition between going back to basics and sustainability in terms of local farming that you brought up in your post. Its nice to think that despite the fact that we are moving forward, some of the past can stick with us.
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